Church and Bridge of Boats, Jhelum, Punjab.

چرچ اورناؤ کا پل جہلم ، پنجاب

This photograph, taken by William Baker in the 1870s, shows the River Jhelum in modern-day Pakistan. The Jhelum is the western-most of the 'five rivers' of the Punjab. Rising in the vale of Kashmir it flows south-west through the Punjab to the Chenab River. Bridges were constructed at strategic points along the river, initially of a semi-permanent nature, many were later replaced by more permanent structures of brick and lime mortar to cope with heavy water in the monsoon season. Three decades after this photograph was taken, the Lower Jhelum Canal was opened in 1901 and subsequently the Upper Jhelum Canal in 1915. These irrigate wide stretches of the Punjab in Pakistan today. Some boats and a church are also visible in the photograph.